I have been involved on the University of Windsor campus intermittently since 2015 when I began a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology which I would later transfer from into the Political Science Department. In the significant duration of time since, I have developed a deep connection with the community; the student body as well as the institution - despite its challenges. It is from this connection that my passion for creating engagement and driving improvement is motivated, and I am quite committed to this work. Outside the University, I was raised in a single mother home with very limited financial resources and struggled with mental health barriers for most of my life. These circumstances, while difficult, exposed me to the barriers which exist for those of us with limited means and who experience disability. Watching the strength, dedication, and industry of my mother in caring for both of us also affirmed a strong sense of respect and recognition for the women in my life. Seeing the spectrum of equity play out first-hand - acknowledging that I still benefit from privilege - informed a personal desire to seek out ways to make things better, which led to my exploration of student, local, and federal political involvement.

The core student issues which I am most passionate about involve economic access/affordability, experiencing disability/accessibility, and equity. We are in the midst of a generational shift in government policy toward post-secondary institutions including the reduction of international student study permits, Ontario Bill C-33 which allows the Ministry of Education to intervene in the fee structures applied in publicly funded post-secondary institutions, and the recent OSAP framework revisions which will convert the existing structure from mostly grants to mostly loans. It is critical in this moment that we have student government representatives who understand political organizing and how to lobby government to achieve policy objectives so that we can push back against existing negative changes and resist additional measures which hurt students. Some of my early experience in student organizing of this nature included lobbying both the federal and provincial governments as a representative of the UWSA with the Canadian Federation of Students, which resulted in increases to the Canada Student Grant, the creation of the Ontario Student Grant, and mandated anti-sexual assault training and support services at Ontario institutions.

I have spent the past two years establishing a highly visible digital platform specifically designed to communicate student affairs at the University of Windsor. I am frequently approached by students I have not directly met in person who thank me for making what is happening on campus accessible. While serving in this role, I would naturally employ my communication strategy to distributing relevant information from the UWSA, the University, levels of government, and other parties to as many students as possible. I am highly responsive, encouraging students to reach out not only with complimentary sentiment but with constructive feedback and room for improvement as well. It is only through accountability that leaders can effectively represent those who have placed them in their roles. To this end, I would equally utilize my open communication strategies to receive feedback from students, alongside the information distribution. Through demonstrated understanding of organizational operations and policy creation and implementation, I would be well suited to ensure fairness, ethics, and representation in any decision making processes with which I am involved or aware of.

Student governance is absolutely critical to preserving and improving the student experience at the University of Windsor. While universities - including ours - are composed of many individuals who truly value and believe in the essential work of higher education and the intrinsic social goods it accomplishes, it is important to recognize that they are also businesses which feel economic pressures and make decisions based on "fiscal responsibility" that do not always align with what students want or need. In this balance, student governance acts as a key check against universities getting lost in the "rational" economics based decision making that at best deprioritizes the human element and at worst leads to human rights, accessibility, and equity concerns on campus. Excellent student leadership can compel the institution to make decisions that take into account the needs of students through understanding of the processes involved in policymaking, organizing student actions, and speaking truth to power. I am experienced in this work, and passionate about improving the student experience at the University of Windsor, help me amplify your voice and get the job done.